ROBBIE BLAKE
(Singer/ Rapper/ Songwriter/ Producer/ Dancer)
Born in New York City to a charming Scottish father and a beautiful Jamaican mother, from birth Robbie’s influences of music was diverse. Before making Canada his permanent home, as a child his family lived a few years in Jamaica exposing him to the infectious reggae sounds of Bob Marley and the wailers but it didn’t just stop at that genre. He would sing and dance to the hits of Michael Jackson, Frank Sinatra, Rolling Stones, Stevie Wonder, Janet Jackson, and Madonna. The wide selection of music was thanks to his music loving mother, a local DJ and major socialite known to throw lavish house parties which introduced him to the whole high energy party/ club theme way before he knew what a club even was.
It’s no wonder that little fellow from a fun loving yet crazy United Colors of Benetton family, became into the showboat, multi-talented, singer-songwriter/ producer with a blender of theatrics making what he is today: Robbie Blake.
“My love for Pop, R&B, and Theatre are influences that make me the entertainer I am today. When I discovered Prince and Grace Jones I realized that I could fuse those combinations through my music and on stage.” Robbie credits his fashion style a mixture between Sean Combs and David Bowie. “They are male fashion icons in modern music which on one side there is the urban/ euro appeal and with the other side there is the glam-rock while still containing masculinity. I dedicate myself to channeling both of those elements within my own pieces of work.”
The goal may seem elevated, but see the artist’s track record: Blake is the boy who at age 7 learned piano by ear. At age 9 wrote his first love ballad. At age 10, got signed by a prestigious Toronto talent agency landing numerous theatre gigs and commercials. At 14, he performed at numerous church functions & club events weekends and weekdays got many classmate admirers for his abilities to sing, act, and dance while studying as a Drama Major at Unionville High School Of The Arts (Hayden Christensen). Shortly after graduating Blake’s music loving Mom gave him the ultimate gift: Music equipment. This was one of the many gifts that his mom would do for him including relocate him back to New York City to further his career in music.
After graduating high school and pushing hard to demo his music to record executives within the Toronto music scene it seem that Blake hit an industry glass ceiling. “I was shopping my music to all the major hitters within the music scene and I just didn’t seem to get a major spark from any of them. Even after I received much success with my Pop/ R&B single ‘I want your love,’ and ‘Give me your love’ which got major video spins nation wide, I still had no takers. I was blessed to have key managers helping to vessel my music career but they felt that the United States or Europe should be my musical place I call home. To put it quite frankly, my look and sound at that time was not marketable enough since Canada was predominately a Rock/ Alternative, Jazz, and Adult Contemporary country which my type of music had no solid place for.”
Instead of folding and taking a back seat to the critics Blake took it higher and moved back to New York City to further his career in Music. With his will to win attitude Blake has gained rapid exposure as a Pop/ R&B singer/ songwriter/ producer within the short span of time he has been living in New York on his own. Making an exclusive online Mixtape Debut titled ‘Memiors In A Sleepless City,’ Robbie Blake is one to watch and support!
www.robbieblakeonline.com